Roth Walton T, Wilhelm Frank H, Pettit Dean
Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
Psychol Bull. 2005 Mar;131(2):171-92. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.131.2.171.
The authors examine 6 theories of panic attacks as to whether empirical approaches are capable of falsifying them and their heuristic value. The authors conclude that the catastrophic cognitions theory is least falsifiable because of the elusive nature of thoughts but that it has greatly stimulated research and therapy. The vicious circle theory is falsifiable only if the frightening internal sensations are specified. The 3-alarms theory postulates an indeterminate classification of attacks. Hyperventilation theory has been falsified. The suffocation false alarm theory lacks biological parameters that unambiguously index dyspnea or its distinction between anticipatory and panic anxiety. Some correspondences postulated between clinical phenomena and brain areas by the neuroanatomical hypothesis may be falsifiable if panic does not depend on specific thoughts. All these theories have heuristic value, and their unfalsifiable aspects are capable of modification.
作者考察了6种惊恐发作理论，以探讨实证方法是否能够对其进行证伪以及它们的启发价值。作者得出结论，灾难性认知理论由于思维难以捉摸的性质而最难以被证伪，但它极大地促进了研究和治疗。恶性循环理论只有在明确了可怕的内部感觉时才可以被证伪。三警报理论假定发作的分类不明确。换气过度理论已被证伪。窒息假警报理论缺乏能明确指示呼吸困难或其在预期焦虑和惊恐焦虑之间区别的生物学参数。如果惊恐不依赖于特定思维，那么神经解剖学假设所假定的临床现象与脑区之间的一些对应关系可能会被证伪。所有这些理论都具有启发价值，并且它们不可证伪的方面是可以修改的。
